The List
by Infatuated-Simplicity
Summary: He had been given a list of women to choose a life partner from and he had never expected to find her on that list. But there was her name staring back at him and he had no intention of letting this opportunity pass him by. NejixSakura One-shot. NaruxHina. Hinata might be a little OOC.


Author's Note: To any and all reading Gift of Life, have no fear a new chapter will be out in the next few days, I swear. It's already mostly done I just need to fill in some bits and we're up and running. Part of the reason that isn't out yet is because of this, which I have had in the works for a few months now. It was starting to bug me that I hadn't finished it yet and so here it is. I have to say that I've seen fics like this in the past by some amazing authors and I just couldn't get the idea out of my head, so I had to write one of my own. I hope you enjoy it (there is lots of fluff) and my GoL readers will be hearing for me VERY soon. PS: I imagined these two to be in their early to mid twenties. And the reason why the brach members get to choose from 10 is because who they marry is slightly less important than the main members.

Disclaimer: I dont' own Naruto.

* * *

He had never considered himself a man fit for love. That is to say, he never thought he would fall in love with anyone. If by some chance he ever did, it would be someone who wasn't in love with him, because destiny usually gave him the short end of the stick. That is why this, all of this, had surprised him so much.

When his uncle had given him a list of women and instructed him to choose one to be his bride, he had never expected her name to be on the list. Hyuuga laws were very clear. Branch members were given a list of acceptable partners, generally ten, to choose from. When you had chosen there was a courtship, a betrothal, and then ultimately a marriage. The list was usually composed of individuals that were strong but did not stand out, as to keep the branch family from surpassing the main house and there were usually a few distant cousins thrown in the mix.

And the women on this list were no different... with one exception. It seemed she was the exception in more ways than one. While the rest of the names were written in the scraggly out dated style of his grandfather, this name was written in the pristine hand of his uncle.

Partners with the strength, intelligence, renown, and beauty of Haruno Sakura were usually reserved for the main branch, never even considered for a branch member. Nonetheless, here she was, added in at the bottom of the list at number eleven.

Based on the way it had been done it was possible that his grandfather, who had always been in charge of the lists, had no idea that an addition had been made. At that thought a smirk crept onto his features. What would the old bat have to say when he found out?

Well, he wasn't going to look a gifted horse in the mouth, not this time anyway. Fortune had smiled on him at last. It just so happened that Haruno Sakura had been the unknowing recipient of his silent affections for some time.

It had started out as respect. He had seen the majority of her fight with Sasori. He had been so impressed that if he hadn't been fighting for his own life at the time, he would have wanted to give her battle his full attention or, even better, go down and fight alongside her.

After that, he had witnessed her kindness, compassion, and raw emotion and he found that he admired her ability to express herself so fully, something he found very difficult to do himself. Respect turned into admiration.

Over the years that followed he witnessed her abilities as a medic and her little acknowledged genius during the war. And when the fighting was done, he had been there to see her determination and perseverance finally achieve the results she had worked so hard for. Admiration had turned into affection.

Through all of this her shinning personality had pulled him closer to her with out her ever realizing it. It also didn't help that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Before he had even realized it, his growing affection had turned into love, which had initially shocked him to his very core. It was by no means fleeting nor was he under any misapprehensions about her. This had been years in the making and grew more every time he saw her. And yes, he was aware of all the characteristics others may have listed as negative qualities, but he saw them as integral parts of her and he wouldn't have her be any other way.

In addition to all of that she was incredibly loyal to her loved ones. Unfortunately at the moment, and for a several years earlier, it was her undying loyalty that was the problem, in addition to his romantic restriction put in place by the clan. It was no secret that Haruno Sakura had been in love with Uchiha Sasuke for the majority of her life and though the man was still missing, she had never once shown romantic inclinations for anyone else. The Uchiha had come up against some top contenders over the years including Naruto, Lee, and Gaara. He didn't include himself in the list because up until today pursuing Sakura had not been an option.

Despite knowing that, he hadn't been able to stop himself from getting to know her better and spending time with her. He trained with her team from time to time and on the off-chance that he got injured he always requested for her to be his medic. He had spent years keeping his love bottled inside, only getting as close to her as the title 'casual friend' would allow. He had convinced himself that it was best that way. She would never know of his affection for her and he would watch her from a distance, occasionally interacting with her when the strain of separation became too much.

It was in this way that they had gotten to know each other better. He found himself seeking out her company more and more, and though he wished they could have been alone together, never once had he been given the opportunity. At some point one of their friends would show up or one of them would be called away by work, but he usually got the opportunity to see her when the group was out together. It was at these functions that she really opened up and, as far as he could tell, she liked his company, though admittedly she was usually the one to do the talking when they ended up in a conversation.

It was this small detail that gave him hope. She liked sitting next to him, saying that he was the only person in the group that she could have a complex conversation with other than Shikamaru, who was usually too busy attending to a drunken Ino.

Though the thought of the Uchiha traitor bothered, him he wasn't going to give up just because of that. He rested his forearm on his bent knee as he sat on the edge of the wooden path of the Hyuuga compound, his other leg planted in the garden below. He needed to think.

The more he thought about it the more the possibilities opened up. They had been twelve the last time he heard her openly express her love for the traitor and though it was obvious she still cared for him when they were sixteen she hadn't admitted to loving him, though it seemed obvious to all of them. Since the Uchiha had tried to kill her, she had done her best to separate herself from those feelings. After the war she had never mentioned her feelings, romantic or platonic, to anyone or about anyone.

It was possible that after all this time she was finally over the brat and ready for someone more worthy of her. Someone like him.

With that thought still ringing in his head, Hyuuga Neji stood and exited the compound, leaving the useless piece of paper on the ground. After all, the other names on the list were completely inconsequential.

* * *

He found her sitting at Ichiraku with the rest of the available group eating ramen. Her eyes were shinning as she animatedly chatted with Tenten who was in the seat to her right. To her left was, of course, Naruto eating and talking at the same time, which earned him a knock on the head now and then from Sakura.

He saw an open seat next to Lee on the other side of the table and caught her eye as he moved to join the group.

"Good evening Neji-san!" He nodded at her in acknowledgement and watched as she smiled at him before turning back to her conversation.

Despite the fact that he was sitting next to Lee, who seemed to think they were having a debate about the pros and cons of wearing a green spandex jumpsuit, Neji was finding that sitting across from Sakura was almost as good as sitting next to her.

He got to see everything. Every smile, every laugh, every movement she made, and every change in emotion that crossed her bottle green eyes. It was all laid out on display for him to see.

It was only after a number of prolonged moments did he realize he was staring; blatantly staring... and he only noticed because she noticed first.

Ino had walked over and whispered something in the two girls ears and suddenly Neji found himself at the center of attention. Tenten looked completely confused while Ino was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Sakura's eyes widened and she reached for a napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth thoroughly.

He smirked at her actions. She assumed he was watching because she had something on her face not because she was beautiful. She was so modest, assuming that her natural beauty had nothing to do with why his eyes were fixated on her. Ino scurried back to her seat and Tenten quickly shook it off before returning Sakura to their earlier topic.

His smirk turned into a predatory grin that if Sakura had seen she would have understood immediately what was going on and Tenten certainly would have had she noticed. As it stood, Chouji and Kiba were both watching him warily, having caught the intention behind his gaze as he watched his unsuspecting prey. He thought for a moment and wondered if, perhaps, he had been too forthright in his attempts to get her attention. He didn't want to shock her or scare her off. Maybe easing her into the idea would be the best course of action...

With a swift mental nod to himself he toned it down but had no intention of stopping. Sakura was just going to have to get used to these little displays of his, as she would be seeing them much more often if he had anything to say about it. If he was truly honest, it would be hard not to show her the full extent of his emotions now that he knew he could act on them.

Hours later, when Naruto had his fill of ramen and Ino was too drunk to walk home alone, the group got up to leave. Shikamaru was the first to leave with Ino slung over his shoulders, the later saying it wasn't her fault Ichiraku kept her favorite sake and the former mumbling about troublesome drunk teammates. In pairs of twos and threes they all began to leave. Kiba and Shino were walking Hinata home while Naruto and Chouji debated food.

Neji could tell Tenten was about to ask Sakura to walk home together and quick as lightning intercepted her.

"Sakura-san, shall I walk you home?" Tenten closed her mouth, which had been open to speak, and scowled. Sakura grinned brightly and moved to answer him when Lee jumped in front of her.

"Never fear my eternal rival! I will take Sakura-san home tonight!" Eerie silence prevailed at the end of his exclamation and he looked over to see the grim visage of his former teammate.

If there was one thing that Lee had learned over their many years together it was to never get in Neji's way when he was being completely serious. If the look he was getting now was anything to go by then his once teammate was very serious indeed, border-lining deadly.

Thankfully, Sakura didn't seem to notice the brevity of the situation, though she did seem slightly puzzled by the whole thing. So Lee did the only thing he could think of; back away while he still had his limbs intact.

"On second thought, perhaps I should bring you home instead Tenten. You need an escort and I live near you. That way you can both be walked home safely."

"Alright…" Tenten was skeptical. She was good at reading both men in question, but the back tracking that Lee did was so abnormal. He usually never would have offered to do something only to take his own offer off the table. Then she caught a glance at Neji's smug masculine look and she knew right away that something was up. But with the way things were she didn't want incur the wrath of Neji incase he had something planned or bring Sakura's attention to it. The pink haired woman just shrugged and smiled, not bothering to dwell on the abnormal behaviors too much.

"Yosh! Forgive me Sakura-san. Another night." Lee began marching off in the other direction with Tenten following closely behind.

Sakura waved to them and then watched as they disappeared into the night. A soft hand at her elbow brought her attention back to the man next to her.

That was strange. He very rarely touched people. He was also standing closer than normal. "Shall we," he said instead of asked.

He watched intently as she nodded and began to move forward with him catching up in a stride. After a few steps he removed his hand reluctantly and they walked in a comfortable silence.

He had noticed some time ago that she wasn't put off by his extremely quiet demeanor. If her body language was anything to go by she was actually more relaxed now then she had been earlier and appeared quite content. That pleased him greatly.

She also didn't seem to notice that he was watching her and if she did she didn't say anything about it. So they continued that way, him watching and her looking up at the stars.

They reached her apartment in no time and he was surprised to find that its location was worrisome. The building was old and slightly run down. There were no truly bad parts of Konoha but some were certainly better than others. This wasn't one of the better ones. The small apartment was across the street from a liquor store and what looked like a small gambling house.

As they climbed the stairs to her second story apartment, a boisterous voice called out to them. "Hey Sakura-chan!" Neji's eyes followed the sound to two large men standing in front of the gambling house; bouncers.

She waved and called back to them in a cheerful voice, "Evening Shiba-san, Yu-san!" It was obvious by her demeanor that he had nothing to worry about. He gazed at her affectionately, though she was looking for her keys and missed it. Trust Sakura to make friends with everyone around her, one of her many traits he admired as he found it difficult to manage himself.

The click of her lock was heard and she turned back to him, startled to find him once again closer than he would have normally ever been, but not so close that she could touch him with out trying. "Thanks for walking me back Neji-san."

The tall man bent down and if she hadn't known better she would have sworn the start of a smile was gracing his features. "Anytime." That deep baritone rumbled into the night and then suddenly he was gone.

Sakura blinked a few times and then her brows rose bit.

What on earth was that about?

* * *

What the hell was going on?

She really wanted to yell that out at the top of her lungs at a certain infuriating man. With the way things were going, she was beginning to wonder if he was feeling under the weather, or touched in the head. Anyone who didn't know him would have said that his actions were perfectly normal.

But she knew better; much better. When you were secretly in love with someone you tended to know as much as you could about them.

Suddenly he was everywhere, and she meant that quite literally. It was as if he was haunting her.

It hadn't been so bad at first. She noticed he had acted a bit oddly the night everyone had met at Ichiraku a few weeks before. He had been staring. That is not to say that Neji staring was unusual. It was the way he was staring that was unprecedented.

She had thought maybe there was something on her face or that her conversation with Tenten had intrigued him, but if that was the case then he would have watched them both and she highly doubted he found Tenten's face wash dilemma of interest.

At the time she had just brushed it off, assuming he was having a weird day, but it was getting ridiculous and she was worried something was seriously wrong with him.

She had seen him at least once everyday since then. She thought it was a fluke at first. After all, it's not unusual to run into someone on the way to work once, especially if they were headed to the kage's office, which was very close to the hospital. But everyday for the last three weeks, even when he didn't need to be at the kage's building?

It was a stretch, but she could buy it. It was possible that he had a new route to a training ground or had some business to do for his clan. So she greeted him with genuine enthusiasm every morning and had a mostly one-sided chat until they parted when the road diverted to the kage's building.

It started getting strange when she ran into him at the market on Saturday morning while looking for fish. Sakura had been going to the market every Saturday morning she could since she was a child and never once, not one single time, had she ever seen Neji there.

She had been examining a large salmon when he his voice echoed in her ear, "Good morning." She jumped, nearly dropping the fish and all the rest of her shopping on the ground. Thankfully she'd managed to catch everything and, with a quick and very happily surprised "good morning" back to him, she waited for him to explain what in God's name he was doing there. He never did and gestured her back towards her long time friend and fisherman to agree on a price for the fish.

Then, with that accomplished, he proceeded to take her canvas shopping bag from her and insisted on carrying it until she had finished. She had assumed that meant until she was finished shopping and thus, having completed her purchases a few stops later, she promptly held her hand out to take the bag.

"Home?" he asked. His face remained impassive but there was something decidedly unsettling in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. Normally devoid of any obvious emotions, his eyes had become unusually expressive as of late, expressive in a way that made her stomach burn, her heartbeat pick up, and her mind go blank. Again, if she didn't know better, she would have said it was lustful and predatory, possibly even possessive at times... but as far as she knew Neji didn't lust, at least not openly, and most certainly not after her.

Now that didn't mean that she was unhappy with his company; quite the contrary. There had been many a time when she had wished that he was interested in her romantically, because she was more than interested in him, but she knew how likely that outcome was; impossible. Never the less, she wasn't going to turn down his company, no matter how odd he was acting.

So she had let him walk her home and had even invited him in. He declined saying that he was running late for something, which was strange in and of itself. He was never late for anything, ever. Even all of that was justifiable if she really thought about it.

What was not justifiable was what had occurred after that.

He had shown up for a medical exam. Of his own free will. When there was no obvious physical ailment afflicting him. That's when she was 100% positive something was wrong.

The man never stepped foot into a hospital unless he got dragged there with his life hanging by a tread. Even then the likely hood that he would remain once he gained consciousness was slim to none. But there he was, the Monday after the market encounter waiting patiently, presumably for the next nurse to see him. At the time she thought that he was finally getting treatment for whatever small malady was ailing him, she figured it was most likely a very bad cold.

She got called into an emergency surgery and rushed off the help a jounin freshly back from a mission with extensive damage to his internal organs and a heavy dose of poison coursing through his veins. Thankfully the poison wasn't anything she hadn't already seen and quickly fixed it, but she spent quite some time fixing up the organs.

Three hours later had her exiting the emergency room only to be bombarded by a nurse saying she had a patient waiting. She headed to the specified examination room to find his folder in the container outside the door. Another nurse passed by explaining that she'd offered him assistance but he'd refused, announcing that he 'only wanted treatment from Sakura-san'. Her brows had risen so high she was sure they had hit her hairline.

After composing herself, she entered the room to find him lounging on the examination table. Yes, lounging was the best word, but he wasn't completely relaxed. He looked for all the world like a large jungle cat waiting for its prey to enter its domain. His eyes focused on her with that predatory look again caused her own body to become aware of everything around her. She felt like she should have been ready for something but she wasn't sure what it was. He must have noticed her tension and lowered the intensity of his gaze slightly because a few moments later found them both, especially her, slightly more relaxed.

The first half of the exam had gone well. The second half was surprising to say the least. Normally Neji preferred to stay fully clothed during the few exams he had been forced to take. She didn't blame him. Some of the younger nurses could be quite fan-girlish at times and it wasn't hard to see why. Sakura often found herself admitting among the girls that he was one of the most handsome men in the village. However, when she was completely alone she could admit to herself that he was the best looking man she'd ever come across, and that was saying something.

She wrote down some notes in his folder and then reached for her stethoscope. When she turned she was stunned at the sight before her.

His body was exquisite, all hard muscle on a lean frame. Every inch of him was defined to perfection and she found herself going over every part of him that wasn't covered by his dark briefs with extremely appreciative eyes. She couldn't see his back but she was sure that plenty of sinuous muscle supported his broad frame.

"Sakura," His voice brought her out of the trance she had been in. She almost shivered at the way her name came out of his lips, sounding like liquid sin. After a substantial pause he added "san" in his usual way.

Realizing what she had just done, she flushed pink for a moment. She prided herself on being a professional and this was the first time a naked torso had elicited that sort of reaction out of her. She composed herself and looked up to find him watching her, in a manner that was decidedly less impassive than usual. In fact it was down right intense and she was completely compelled by his overwhelming presence, which alerted her to the fact that she shouldn't have been and she quickly snapped out of it.

She completed the checkup as quickly as possible.

As he was adjusting his shirt she asked, "Are you feeling alright Neji-san? You've seemed different lately."

He walked over to her (once again a little too close) and graced her with something she had never seen before. The small smile was clearly there and she just gawked at him as he said, "I can assure you I have never felt better." He then promptly left her to think about what had just happened.

After going over everything she wanted to yell at him and tell him everything was not okay and something had to be wrong, but his checkup results screamed the truth. As far as she could tell, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the man.

So she let it go, figuring that whatever it was wasn't physical and that this strange mood he was in would probably pass soon.

She would soon come to the conclusion that it wasn't getting any better.

He was at Ichiraku every time Naruto dragged her there, even though he was not huge a fan of ramen. In addition to that, he had asked to train with her, just her, twice since the hospital visit, which they had never done before. She ran into him at the library only to find him browsing the medical section, which is something no sane person did without good reason, and ended up having an animated hour-long chat on the steps out front about medical ethics. And he had miraculously showed up at a small café that she frequented on one of her breaks and proceeded to sit with her for a full thirty minutes until she had to go back.

It was beginning to drive her mad. He was doing things he would never normally do without any explanation what so ever. So far, she could come up with only a few viable options; someone had him under genjutsu, he was suffering from some new sickness she couldn't identify, or he was going out of his way to see her.

She was leaning towards the genjutsu or the sickness.

It wasn't that she didn't want him to be interested in her; she wanted that so much it was hard to breathe in his presence sometimes... but this was Hyuuga Neji and there was no way he would be doing that. She hadn't heard of him visiting any of their other friends in the same way. As much as she wanted to think he was singling her out in a non-professional way she just couldn't.

She knew how Hyuuga marriages worked, in the main family anyway. They were all arranged and she doubted it was any different for the branch family. It wasn't that she wanted to get married right away or anything, but she wasn't the type of person to get invested in something that wasn't going to go anywhere, and she knew he wasn't either. So it couldn't have been that. With that explanation tossed aside, she focused on the other two.

These thoughts had been running through her mind for a while and she had decided that genjutsu was out of the question, as was a white Zetsu clone (or any other clone) disguised as Neji running around Konoha. Therefore, she had decided that he had to be sick, all the strange events were merely coincidental, and that she had made some tones, words, and actions mean more than they really did.

But now he had gone and done this and it convinced her that she wasn't making it up; though the idea that he was ill was still favorable, it seemed less and less possible under the circumstances.

The night shift had been extended to include the morning shift when a young woman went into labor. It was now late morning and Sakura hadn't eaten anything since last night. To say that she was starved was an understatement.

She entered her office to fill out the necessary paper work concerning the newborn baby to find a coffee, which smelled like her favorite roast with the perfect amount of cream and sugar, and an apple turnover resting on her desk with a note. Sitting by the note was a single orange lily, strangely similar to the ones she picked up from Ino's flower shop every now and again.

_Brought you breakfast; you're favorites. _

Even with out the signature she knew who it was from. The handwriting was immaculate and masculine, one that she had seen many times on mission reports when she assisted Tsunade-sama in the office.

She eyed the fluffy pastry and steaming coffee warily.

How did he know those were her favorites? She inhaled deeply to confirm her suspicions. They most certainly were her favorites, but she didn't recall ever telling him that and how did he know she hadn't had breakfast?

Well, he could have asked anyone working the morning shift, but still it was a bit odd. She'd never heard of him bringing anyone else breakfast, or even going to such lengths to find out about any of their other friends. He was sometimes considerate, sure, but never to this extent.

And a flower? Really? The flower was just plain strange. In all the years she'd known him never had he given flower to anyone for any reason, except for funerals. As far as she was aware she hadn't recently died, unless she was in a sever case of denial and had just aided a birth as a ghost. It was just the icing on the cake of oddities that needed answering.

The golden flakes of the pastry looked so tempting in the light and the steam from the coffee was beckoning to her. He must have just dropped them off a few minutes before. She relented in her staring contest, realizing that it wasn't going to jump off the desk and bite her. She reached down and picked up the note, smiling at his pristine script. When she realized what she was doing she shook her head, remembering the circumstances in which the gift had been left.

Admittedly she thought it was very sweet of him, but overriding that thought was the fact that the whole situation was strange. The fact that she had no idea what was going on was beginning to concern her. The more she thought about it the more concerned she got and the more concerned she got the more she was getting pissed off that no one was telling her what in the world was going on around here. Someone had to know; all her friends were busy bodies to some extent or other and one of them had to know something. So she'd start with the most likely candidate.

She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

…Well, maybe not now. After she finished her breakfast, the paper work, and had a shower, she wanted answers!

* * *

When Hinata had received word that Sakura wanted to meet for coffee, she wasn't terribly surprised. They often met for coffee during the week, but after one look from her old friend she knew that this meeting was different and she had a pretty good idea what it was about.

Her father had told her about his decision and Hinata had happily watched as Neji made it a point to make his intentions clear. Well, clear for a Hyuuga, but perhaps not for a man from any other family. She had to give her stubborn cousin credit for being so open and persistent with the pink haired medic. It may not have seemed like much, but Neji wasn't the kind of man to make displays, even the small kind. It meant a lot coming from him.

If the flustered anxious look on her friends face was anything to go by, it would seem that Sakura was finally aware of the situation. He must have recently told her what was going on and Hinata couldn't have been happier about it. Hinata was desperately trying not to let loose a gaggle of giggles as Sakura desperately tried to express herself. Her lips kept opening and closing comically until eventually she straightened her back and just let it out.

"Hinata-chan, what is wrong with your cousin? Is he sick?"

…That wasn't what she had expected. Hinata blinked a few times at her friend's worried face before shaking her head and putting down her coffee.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, you caught me off guard. Neji-nii-san is fine." Green eyes looked into Hinata's with obvious skepticism.

Hinata didn't understand. The cousin in question had just informed her a short time back that he'd gone in for a physical and was fine and if he wasn't Sakura would have fixed it. Why Sakura thought he was sick was beyond her. Unless… No, Neji-nii-san must have told her what was going on or at least hinted VERY heavily. It was part of the rules.

Sakura shook her head stubbornly. "He can't be. He brought me breakfast." Hinata's brows furrowed. Sakura's voice held no small amount of concern, presumably concern for Neji. Something was wrong here.

The Hyuuga heiress placed a hand on Sakura's in reassurance, making sure to look directly into her eyes so that her friend knew she was serious. "I can assure you Sakura-chan, Neji-nii-san is fine. He told me just the other day that he's never felt better."

Sakura sighed loudly. "He told me the same thing," she said, and at this point Hinata was convinced that Sakura was in denial about the entire affair. "But he's been so strange lately. He came in to see me at the hospital for a check up last week."

Hinata watched the mixture of frustration and concern swirl around her friend and decided to review what was going on. It wasn't like Sakura to over look something that, to everyone else, seemed so obvious but perhaps there was a reason.

Then it hit her. After the Sasuke affair no one could blame Sakura for being a little gun-shy when it came to matters of the heart. Sakura wouldn't just assume Neji-nii-san had feelings for her when the last man she'd approached had shot her down romantically and then trampled over all the bonds they had created as teammates. It also explained why Sakura hadn't made a move even though Hinata was sure her cousin's affections were completely requited by the pink haired beauty.

So it would be up to her to get one of her best friends to realize the obvious. She'd have to break it to Sakura gently though. The last thing she wanted was for Sakura to freak out and splash hot coffee all over some innocent bystander. "Umm, Sakura-chan did you ask Neji-nii-san about all this?" Hinata thought that would be a good way to start, finding out exactly what Sakura was aware of.

The medic in question took a sip of coffee and sighed. "Well, I asked him but he said he was fine; better than fine." Hinata nodded and then waited for Sakura to say something that would bring them on the right track. She didn't disappoint. "And I've seen him everywhere! It's almost like he's going out of his way to see me." Sakura said in an excited whisper as she leaned in so she could be heard over the bustle in the café.

"Of course he is." Hinata said, with an all-knowing smile.

Sakura pulled back quickly and looked a bit startled. "What? Why?"

Hinata gave her a reassuring smile and asked, "Sakura-chan, are you familiar with Hyuuga branch family marriage customs?"

With a hesitant shrug and a shake of the head she responded. "Branch members, not really. The main family has arranged marriages, right? I just figured it was the same."

The answer she received didn't surprise the Hyuuga. Most people weren't that aware of the customs surrounding the Hyuuga branch family members. Hinata nodded with the general assessment that Sakura made. "Both have arranged marriages but not in the same way. The main family has their partners chosen for them. One of the few liberties awarded a branch member is that they may choose their life partner from a list of proper eligible candidates, usually ten." Hinata watched as her friend processed the information with a frown.

"Oh… alright." Sakura said as she took in the new information, waiting for the rest of the explanation.

Hinata obliged, assuming that Sakura would get the hint if given a bit more to go on. "Recently Neji-nii-san was given his list."

"Ok… What does that have to do with me?" Hinata was aware that her friend wasn't usually dense, but this time Sakura seemed determined not to believe what was sitting right in front of her.

Hinata smiled, genuinely happy for her favorite cousin and best friend, who had been given a rare opportunity. "You were on his list."

There was silence for a moment as the news sunk in and Sakura began to realize exactly what was happening. "What?" she asked quietly, almost in a state of shock.

Hinata grabbed Sakura's hand in both of hers, gaining her full attention. "And it is my understanding that he was elated to find you on it." She gave Sakura a pointed look, ensuring that Sakura was paying attention and fully understanding what she was trying to tell her. "It has also been made clear that he has no intention of pursuing any of the others on the list."

Sakura stumbled over her words, not quite sure what to say. "I… Um… Oh my God." Now she was positive that she had gotten through to the medic. Sakura's cheeks were flushed in slight embarrassment and, unless Hinata was severely mistaken, a lot of excitement.

Hinata squeezed the hand she held lightly before letting it go. "Perhaps you should go talk to him, Sakura-chan. He might be able to shed more light on the situation." The suggestion did not go unheeded.

Sakura stood and grabbed her things. "Ok, maybe I should."

As Sakura left in a slight haze, Hinata couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her lips. When she stopped laughing she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper that she had received from her father just that morning. She looked at the two words fondly; _Uzumaki Naruto_.

* * *

A few hours of searching later, Sakura approached training ground 5 where Lee and Tenten had directed her. It had taken a while to find him and during that time her shock had faded and turned into curiosity and a bit of annoyance. Why was the man always so busy? It made it nearly impossible to find him. It made her wonder how he'd managed to find her, as she was also extremely busy...

But that wasn't important now, because she could see him when she reached the top of the hill. Sure enough there he was in his white training outfit finishing up his regimen. When he saw her approaching he stood up to his impressive full height and walked the remaining distance to meet her.

"Sakura-san," he said, as he stopped within arms length. "I hope you enjoyed-"

He was cut short by the object of his desires taking a step forward landing less than an inch from him. She was so close he could smell her. To say that he was surprised was an understatement. His eyes were wide as she stared up at him with determination.

Why did she seem to be getting closer? Oh wait, because she was. Despite being almost a foot shorter than him, she had managed to close more than half the distance between them by standing on her toes and craning her neck. He blinked a few times before he noticed her right pointer finger gesturing for him to lean down.

Almost without thinking he did as she asked, assuming that she had something private to tell him. With only a centimeter between them she bounced a little connecting his lips to hers for a moment, just long enough for him to have a warm sensation spread through his chest, tingling settle in his limbs, and his breath to get caught in his throat.

Before he could respond the way he really wanted to, having not yet fully recovered from his initial surprise at the action, she pulled away and blushed.

"Was that so difficult?" she asked, confidant in her actions, but clearly a bit bashful and unused to displaying herself in such a way. She looked up at him through thick lashes with a small smile before disappearing in a flurry of petals.

He stood there for a moment taking everything in. Without realizing it, he was beaming and just then it occurred to him that she had disappeared on him.

That would simply not do. He quickly gathered his things and made his way to the compound, in a rush to have a shower and change his clothes.

She was giving him an opportunity and he wasn't going to waste it, nor was his going to ruin it by smelling like an unwashed brute.

Hinata and Naruto were seated in Hiashi-sama's tea room when a Neji shaped blur raced past, completely focused on the task at hand.

Hinata giggled at her fathers knowing smirk while Naruto looked on, completely ignorant of the goings on around him; he was also fully focused on the task at hand, which involved his adamant agreement to marry the woman sitting next to him and making sure that Hiashi-sama had no reason to doubt his decision regarding his daughter's future happiness.

God this was stressful! With one look at Hinata, his stress melted away leaving his usual bull-headed optimism and self-assurance.

* * *

Sakura was sitting on her sofa reading a scroll and listening to music, having recently put food in the oven, when she heard a knock on the door.

She'd been expecting it. After all, she had disappeared on him and she was sure he had something to say to her.

She took a deep breath to calm her racing nerves. She got up and walked to the door, slowly turning the handle. The man standing in front of her blocked the orange and red onslaught of approaching night and she couldn't help but notice how he seemed to encompass the entire entrance.

He didn't need to be asked in. She'd left him plenty of room to join her inside the apartment, which was much nicer on the inside then the outside would suggest. So he did just that. She moved around him to close the door and as soon as it shut she could feel a large warm hand at the small of her back.

He gently guided her to face him and then slowly and deliberately pulled her forwards. His other hand found hers and continued to guide her until she was flush against him.

He had wanted this for so long that he didn't move, simply enjoying the feel of having her close. Sakura just looked into his eyes, the smile on her lips shinning throughout the depths of her green orbs, as she leaned into his touch, heat pooling into her chest and stomach.

"That was very unfair of you." His voice reverberated from his chest to hers. She knew what he meant and a slight flush formed on her cheeks. She had felt bad about leaving so abruptly earlier, but she'd had no idea what to do after that. So she left that part up to him and it appeared he had everything well in hand.

He leaned in close, his breath dusting her lips and his nose brushing hers as they watched each other intently, her emerald eyes drawing him in, hypnotizing him.

"Neji?" Her quiet voice brought him out of the trance and he tightened his hold on her. He had made the first moves over the last few weeks and she had responded earlier today. Now it was his turn again.

His lips crashed into hers and she felt weak at the knees from the power in his embrace. He straightened up, moving his second hand to join the first wrapped around her back, lifting her with him. He began to walk them over to the sofa and for a moment they were separated as he sat them down with her resting on his lap. That separation didn't last long and before she knew what was happening her lips were fused with his again, the heat of his body radiating between them.

Feverishly he nipped her bottom lip and quickly soothed the bruise with gentle flick of his tongue, earning a sharp intake of breath from Sakura followed by a feminine sigh of approval. His hand left a burning trail on her arm as it travelled from her waist to her hair. His mouth opened slightly and she wasted no time in taking a quick but confident taste of him, causing what could only be described as a growl to erupt from him.

She was driving him mad, the taste of her, the feel of her, and he knew that if they kept this up they wouldn't be stopping any time soon, and as much as he wanted that, he knew they would have plenty of time for it after he cleared something up. She felt the fierceness begin to fade and for a split second she was disappointed but quickly realized that this new kiss was just as wonderful. It was by no means chaste but with the aggression gone she got to feel more of him. The lazy way his lips slid over hers made her want to melt into him and she couldn't help but suck gently at his bottom lip before the kiss ended.

She pulled back to look at his face and then rested her head on his chest, pulling him back in close. She could feel his lips brush her forehead, then her temple and soon his cheek was resting on hers. She loved the feel of his recently shaved skin against her cheek; while it was smooth, if she moved against the grain she could feel the light scratch of his shadow.

He stroked her hair and she took in his masculine scent, both basking in the feel of requited love, the freedom to love each other and finally express that love with out fear of rejection or separation. Neither one could think of a moment they had ever felt better, happier, or more alive.

After a while he shifted slightly and his voice rumbled in her ear. "May I take this as a yes to the courtship?" He stared at her, affixed to her visage and watched as he got the answer he had desperately hoped to hear.

Sakura couldn't help but laugh as she said, "Of course!" having thought that was obvious at this point, and jokingly tapped his shoulder. As her laughter died down, he caught her chin in his hand and coaxed her eyes back to his.

"I want to tell you something." The look in his eyes was something she had never seen before. He was completely unguarded and she saw what he'd kept locked away. She felt her breath leave her body at the unabashed affection that was being poured on her by this infamously impassive man. "Now that we found each other, I'm never letting you go."

His gravely confession gave away so much and Sakura felt as though her chest was going to explode. She knew how much it must have taken for him to go out a ledge like this for her, not knowing if she would say 'yes' when this began a few weeks ago. He had put away his pride and risked rejection and now to bare himself to her like this, it was just too much.

She had to show him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." The warmth in her eyes was so bright it heated up every fiber of his being. The kiss she placed on his lips was soft and somewhat chaste but also tender and full of promise and he knew exactly how she felt. He could see it and he could feel it.

Ding! Something in her kitchen went off and Sakura slowly turned to see what it was, having forgotten all about her dinner. She stood and looked back at him with a soft smile.

"Hungry?" He nodded silently and took her outstretched hand in his.

He walked with her to the kitchen and sat on a stool as she cooked and chatted, watching quietly all the while. This was exactly what he'd hoped for and he couldn't be happier as he listened to her talk about medical jutsu, while swaying to her favorite song as it played.

He'd always thought that love wasn't a natural state for him and that he wasn't fit for it, but loving Sakura and expressing that love was coming as naturally as breathing.

He was perfectly fit for love, he thought as he drifted to sleep later that night with Sakura in his arms. Perfectly suited for this love. Just this love; just Sakura.

* * *

End Comments: So yes, I realize that the ending is REALLY cheesy and very fluffy but I couldn't help myself and no matter how hard I tried to end it in another setting or wrap it up differently, it didn't work. But I like it anyway. So if you liked it too, please let me know. I had a lot of fun writing this and I have a few other one-shots on the way in addition to the last few chapters of GoL. Thanks for reading!


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